Insect host/vector genetic responses to rhabdovirus infection. Rhabdoviruses cause important diseases in humans, animals and plants. These viruses are transmitted by insect vectors in which they persist and propagate, an intimate and specific association. Insect-rhabdovirus interactions will be studied at the molecular level using a planthopper-maize rhabdovirus model. Insect genes specifically induced by rhabdovirus infection as well as the viral genes themselves will be identified and characte ....Insect host/vector genetic responses to rhabdovirus infection. Rhabdoviruses cause important diseases in humans, animals and plants. These viruses are transmitted by insect vectors in which they persist and propagate, an intimate and specific association. Insect-rhabdovirus interactions will be studied at the molecular level using a planthopper-maize rhabdovirus model. Insect genes specifically induced by rhabdovirus infection as well as the viral genes themselves will be identified and characterized using genomics and bioinformatics tools. We will extend the same approaches to a comparative analysis of these planthopper genes with other insect-rhabdovirus systems under investigation in our institutes. Identification of viral genes expressed in insects, the insect genes that respond to virus infection, and interpretation of the roles of these genes in insects, may indicate new opportunities to control serious plant and animal diseases through control of virus transmission.Read moreRead less
Developing a competitive H2 production suystem based on engineered cells of green algae. The depletion of oil reserves and the effects of global warming make the development of new, clean, sustainable fuel production systems critically important. This frontier technology has the ability to drive solar-powered hydrogen production from water. Extending the system to marine algal cells provides the possibility of coupling clean fuel production with water purification as the product of H2 combustion ....Developing a competitive H2 production suystem based on engineered cells of green algae. The depletion of oil reserves and the effects of global warming make the development of new, clean, sustainable fuel production systems critically important. This frontier technology has the ability to drive solar-powered hydrogen production from water. Extending the system to marine algal cells provides the possibility of coupling clean fuel production with water purification as the product of H2 combustion is pure water. We have already engineered green algae that produce H2 from H2O at a rate ~1000% higher than the Wild-type and through this project will incorporate further improvements with the aim of developing a competitive H2 production system.Read moreRead less